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Liverpool vs. Leicester City result: Salah penalty saved, Reds lose to Foxes

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Liverpool failed to convert a penalty against a Leicester City club that had just lost 6-3 to Premier League leader Manchester City just 48 hours earlier, and ultimately lost 1-0 to the Foxes in a setback that might have major consequences in the Premier League championship battle.


With a heavyweight confrontation against third-place Chelsea looming on Sunday, the Reds are now six points behind Man City at the midway stage of the season.


Ademola Lookman, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, was the hero for Leicester, weaving his way into the penalty area and delivering a hammer blow to Liverpool's title hopes while also helping to push Leicester into ninth place.


Liverpool had many golden opportunities before the goal. Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah had a penalty attempt saved in the first half by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who also made many other outstanding saves. Sadio Mane, a Liverpool attacker, missed the target on the greatest chance of the second half.


Owing to an unexpected layoff on Boxing Day due to a COVID-19 postponement, the Reds came into the encounter with additional rest. Despite playing on Boxing Day and facing a massive injury list that left the Foxes depleted, manager Brendan Rodgers produced a masterpiece in his club's third encounter in six days.


On the night, Liverpool seemed mortal, which was a disastrous result considering Man City's apparent immortality.


Liverpool vs. Leicester City final score


 1H2HFinal
Leicester  0  1 1
Liverpool  0  0 0


Goals:

LEI — Ademola Lookman — 59th min.

(All times Eastern)

Final: Leicester City 1, Liverpool 0



Full-time: Liverpool's title prospects have dwindled dramatically after a dismal evening. At the King Power Stadium, Ademola Lookman's winner stuns the visitors, putting Liverpool six points behind Manchester City, which seems like 16 given Pep Guardiola's side's current form.


It's a Herculean effort and outcome for Leicester City. Given the injury list the Foxes had to cope with, as well as the mid-season loss of James Maddison, Brendan Rodgers has pulled off nothing short of a miracle. Liverpool was abysmal, but Leicester City was up to the challenge.



94th minute: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is up for a corner in the fourth of five additional minutes. Joel Matip flies wide as the delivery flies well over him. This one has come to an end.


86th minute: Kasper Schmeichel, who has been outstanding today, stops a tight-angle Mohamed Salah shot low at the near post. Liverpool is putting the pressure on, but it doesn't appear that the Reds are close to getting an equalizer, much alone the game-winning double. One point doesn't assist the Reds at all, because any points relinquished are a loss for the visitors, so there's a sense of vanity in this late Liverpool effort.



Diogo Jota heads wide from a corner in the 82nd minute, Liverpool's latest squandered opportunity. The Reds are at serious risk of losing two games in a row, which would put Man City in a fantastic position moving into 2022. Pep Guardiola's team would be heavy favorites to win the championship.



Leicester City is in more difficulty in the 73rd minute. Jamie Vardy is presently near midfield for the Foxes, who have now deployed all three replacements. The injury appears to be significant. He's hobbling badly as he exits, and teammates pat him on the back of the head.


Jurgen Klopp, Brendan Rodgers' opponent, has been a vocal supporter of the five-substitution rule, which has yet to be implemented in the Premier League. Today, Rodgers may have benefited from the additional subs.


Vardy is making a comeback, in some way. It's most likely due to a lack of alternatives. Rodgers confirmed Vardy was hurt two days earlier, yet he placed him on the replacements bench against Manchester City despite the fact that he didn't play.



66th minute: From Liverpool's viewpoint, a great summation of the game - Joel Matip delivers a fantastically imaginative ball to feed Diogo Jota in the penalty area with plenty of room, but Leicester closes it down effectively and Jota's flick in front of goal fails to find Salah. For the guests, it's simply not happening today. The Reds have brought on Roberto Firmino in the hopes of changing their fortunes.



James Maddison is down and needs treatment after defending effectively in the penalty area, which is concerning for Leicester City. Marc Albrighton will take his spot as he limps away. That may be a significant blow for the Foxes, who are already dealing with a slew of ailments.


Jota was felled just outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute, but the referee made no decision. The Portuguese striker is booed as he limps back into position at King Power Stadium.


Fabinho will be replaced by James Milner. Jordan Henderson is the last of the starting Liverpool midfield three to retain, despite his dismal performance on the day.


Over the previous five minutes, Leicester City has had 79 percent possession. It's difficult to identify which team Man City smashed 48 hours ago.



Leicester City scores in the 59th minute! Ademola Lookman, who has just recently joined Iheanacho's team, is the first to score. Lookman weaves his way through the penalty area as Dewsbury-Hall initiates the play along the left flank. No Liverpool defender is able to stop him, as he outruns Alisson at the near post.


Liverpool, already behind, will be kicking themselves for lost opportunities.



Sadio Mane, who hasn't scored or assisted a goal in eight Premier League games, had a huge miss in the 55th minute. In the six-yard box, he goes past Leicester defender Timothy Castagne, but his point-blank effort is deflected. Liverpool has squandered yet another significant chance.


Both teams make substitutions, with Liverpool bringing on Naby Keita in place of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who appears upset as he exits. Youri Tielemans comes into the game for Leicester City, replacing Hamza Choudhury in midfield and Kelechi Iheanacho for Ademola Lookman.




52nd minute: A tense start to the second half, but Leicester is almost there as Dewsbury-Hall nearly finds Vardy racing through the center. Kostas Tsimikas, a Liverpool left defender, gets a crucial touch and redirects the ball out of play, denying Vardy the chance.


Liverpool is getting set to make substitutes. Naby Keita, James Milner, and Roberto Firmino all look to be alternatives for Jurgen Klopp in the near future.


Second half begins in the 46th minute, with no replacements yet.


Leicester City 0 Liverpool 0 at halftime

A goalless first half concludes an exciting yet staccato first half. Schmeichel's huge penalty stop on Salah is the highlight of the first half, but he also had another superb save to go with it, while Jamie Vardy came close for Leicester City.


Liverpool had its opportunities, but the Reds will be dissatisfied with their final-third performance overall. Overall, Leicester City did a good job of getting to halftime without conceding, but the Foxes didn't do so with panache. Both teams will attempt to settle their differences in the locker room. This game doesn't seem to have reached top gear yet.


Some people are concentrating on Jordan Henderson's poor performance in the first half...



Hendo is feeling the volley tonight in the 43rd minute. His third volleyed effort of the first half, and maybe the closest yet, came from a corner. He reaches for the leg whip and comes dangerously near to putting it in the top corner. Definitely the most close to the net of the three.


Leicester City is continuously giving up possession in its own half, and it may be punished as a result. They're attempting to play on the counter, but the counters have resulted in more giveaways than anything else, with the exception of one or two major moments.


38th minute: It took a half-hour for this game to really get going, but it's finally here. Maddison had a similar chance to Vardy a few minutes before, but his effort skittered harmlessly over the face of goal. Leicester supporters are making a lot of noise, as the Foxes have suddenly become more of a danger.



36th minute: Matip went on a rampage through Leicester defenders, nearly scoring a defender's solo goal for the ages, but he fell one player short, finally being dispossessed by the last Leicester man back. It would have been a fantastic goal.


Leicester City's first serious danger flag comes in the 35th minute. Jamie Vardy plays a great one-two with James Maddison, but Liverpool defender Joel Matip saves his goal-bound attempt. It was on the verge of taking the lead if Liverpool's center back hadn't saved it at the near post.


Schmeichel makes another STELLAR save on Salah in the 32nd minute! A bobbling ball dropped to Salah near the right post from open play, and he unleashed a left-footed attempt from a tight angle. Schmeichel became large and pushed the ball over the crossbar. The pressure on Leicester City's defense appears to be increasing.


26th minute: The game seems to be waiting for another major moment, although neither side has produced many important chances since the penalty. Liverpool has strung together a couple half-looks, with Jordan Henderson firing another volley over, this time with less venom. For Leicester, Vardy had a breakaway chance, but the offside flag negated it.



PENALTY SAVED in the 14th minute! Liverpool declined. Salah is brought down by Wilfred Ndidi on the edge of the six-yard box, a simple decision for the referee. Salah onto the field, and his performance is subpar. Schmeichel chooses the proper path and refuses.



8th minute: Liverpool is settling in, with lengthy periods of possession. Jordan Henderson volleys a nasty attempt over the bar after Sadio Mane's turn-and-shoot effort is stopped. As it was dropping back down towards the earth, Hendo struck it very well, an ambitious effort that didn't miss by much.


4th minute: This game has already become enthralling. In the Leicester City penalty area, Diogo Jota gets a golden chance, but his half-hearted attempt is stopped. For a foul in transition on Kelechi Iheanacho, Liverpool's Joel Matip receives an early yellow card. Fabinho should have been warned for a strong tackle on Leicester's Choudhury seconds earlier, but he got away with it.


We're off and running in the first minute. Leicester City will play in a 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 formation. In any case, it's a departure from their typical 4-2-3-1 formation. It'll be fascinating to watch if Maddison's influence suffers as a result.


Kickoff is set at 2:58 p.m. Leicester City would be dumb to "go for it," according to NBC studio analyst Robbie Mustoe, who predicts the Foxes would sit back and absorb pressure before attacking on the counter. We haven't seen Brendan Rodgers back down from a challenge like that before, but with the problems that this Leicester City team is dealing with...



2:47 p.m.: As the match approaches, Jurgen Klopp shared his views on the match, indicating that keeping James Maddison at bay will be a priority, and that Thiago had a minor injury in training and was left out of the matchday squad as a result.



2:05 p.m.: The lineups have been finalized. Virgil van Dijk has returned to Liverpool from COVID-19, and he makes his 150th appearance for the club. Both Jamie Vardy and Wilfried Ndidi, who are both injured, start for the wounded Foxes, according to Brendan Rodgers.



1:24 p.m.: Kelechi Iheanacho discusses facing Liverpool for the second time in a week, despite the fact that he might continue to play up front in place of the injured Jamie Vardy.



12:49 p.m.: Despite the fact that their team's lineup has been decimated, Leicester City fans should be in high spirits at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday.



Liverpool vs. Leicester City lineups


If you're a Leicester City supporter, brace yourself. Ricardo Pereira, the Foxes' right defender, shattered his leg in the EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) defeat to Liverpool and will be out for a long period. Caglar Soyuncu, a center defender, also exited the game with a hamstring injury and will be out indefinitely. With a thigh injury, Jonny Evans will be sidelined for the holiday fixtures, as will Harvey Barnes, Ryan Bertrand, and Wesley Fofana.


Both Jamie Vardy and Wilfried Ndidi were on the bench for Liverpool's Boxing Day defeat to Manchester City, but Rodgers confirmed that they are both injured and were merely there as backup alternatives owing to a lack of depth. Both were named to today's starting lineup, highlighting Leicester City's present struggles.


Schmeichel (GK) — Thomas, Ndidi, Amartey, Castagne — Tielemans, Soumare, Choudhury — Maddison — Iheanacho, Vardy — Schmeichel (GK) — Thomas, Ndidi, Amartey, Castagne — Tielemans, Soumare, Choudhury —Maddison — Iheanacho, Vard


Ward (GK), Vestergaard, Nelson, Daley-Campbell, Tielemans, Albrighton, McAteer, Lookman, Perez, Tielemans, Tielemans, Albrighton, McAteer, Lookman, Perez, Tielemans, Tielemans, Tielemans, Tielemans, Tielemans, Tielemans, Tieleman


While Leicester's bad luck continues, Liverpool's fortunes are improving. Van Dijk, as well as Thiago, Fabinho, and Curtis Jones, all cleared the COVID-19 process and are ready to return, according to the club.


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